How many employers ask about criminal records in application forms?

In 2018, Unlock surveyed 80 well-known national employers’ online application systems to assess their approaches to recruiting people with criminal records. We selected companies based on an in-house poll of large employers. We have now conducted a comparable survey in 2023, to explore whether practice has changed. Read the full report here. We found:   Overall, […]

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Updated: DBS filtering rules have changed

If you recruit for jobs that are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act you will be familiar with filtering. Since May 2013, some cautions and convictions are automatically ‘filtered’ from standard and enhanced DBS certificates and job applicants are legally entitled to withhold filtered cautions and convictions from employers. The existing rules apply to […]

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Unlock publish toolkit to help local authorities ban the box

Delivering everything from social care, housing and planning and waste collection, to licensing, registrar services and pest control, local authorities need to recruit for vast and varied needs. With 343 local authorities in England and 22 in Wales the sector provides employment for more than 2 million people. Every employer wants to recruit the best […]

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Recruiting with conviction at a time of national crisis

As the coronavirus spreads in the UK and government advice means millions of people are staying home to stay safe, there is an urgent need for people to help with key roles. The NHS are looking for 250,000 volunteers, while social care providers, supermarkets and other essential services are boosting their workforce. We’ve been contacted […]

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